The Replacement
by rivendaen
Summary: Tony was falling in love with Kate. When she was killed, his heart shattered. Just when he thought things couldn't get worse, an old flame steps back into his life... chapter 8 added!
1. Chapter 1

Even though he spent his paid vacation in the Bahamas, Tony didn't feel any better, or up to facing work. The loss of a close co-worker was tough to deal with and it hit him hard. Kate had been fun, smart and strong. Nothing except Tony got to her. Dealing with her unexpected death was hard on the whole team. Now, more than ever, he wanted revenge on Ari, and would not rest until he lay in an early grave. If he ever caught him, he would kill him with his own two hands.

When the elevator came to a stop, he took in a deep breath and stepped into the silent office. Agent Timothy McGee sat hunched over his desk, talking on the phone. Jethro Gibbs was nowhere to be found. The other workers shuffled quietly through the tense office. It appeared as though nothing had happened, but Tony knew everyone was hurting inside. But no one hurt like him.

The elevator doors opened again and Tony swung around to greet his boss. Gibbs did not appear happy. He stepped on to the floor with an angry, grief stricken expression. Tony felt his pain, but knew that it was not to be discussed. Instead, he sat at his desk and waited for his orders.

"OK team!" he shouted across the room. The lab technician Abby Scuito joined them, along with Ducky, the coroner. "We have a job to do, and let's do it! I plan to kill Ari with my own hands before sundown!" Tony's eyes fell shut. Even the memory was too much to think of. Deciding to try and shake it off, he sat up straight in his chair and awaited instruction once more.

"DiNozzo! I want you down in the lab with Abby. You're going to help her track down our suspect. We have a small lead, let's try and make it bigger." Gibbs turned to Timothy. "McGee, any news of our new arrival?" McGee hung up the phone and nodded.

"She's on her way, being escorted by two other agents," he replied. Tony's jaw dropped. A replacement? For Kate? That couldn't be so, no one could do this job like her. His heart shattered at the thought of never seeing her in the desk next to his. Never listening to her complaints about him. All the small things that he would never again experience. Gibbs voice roused him from his thoughts.

"Tony, I know its tough, but you'll pull through. All of us will." Once again, the elevator doors opened. Escorted by to burly, dark men on black suits, was a tall, brunette dressed in a simple suit and tie. She had long, curly hair and stared at them with piercing grey eyes. He couldn't take his gaze off her. There was something familiar about her.

"Look, Tony's back to normal!" Abby joked.

"Agent Gibbs, this is your new team member, Agent Candice Klyne. She had just been transferred out of the Navy." Backing up, the men bid farewell and disappeared onto the elevator.

'_Candice Klyne…' _Tony thought. It couldn't be… There couldn't be anything else to make this day any worse.

"Agent Klyne," Gibbs began as he shook her hand. "Good to see you again." He pointed to the team. "At the back, we have Abby Scuito, she's our lab tech. Beside her is Ducky, our coroner. Next to him with the blank expression is Agent Timothy McGee. In the front at the desk is-"

"Anthony DiNozzo…" she smirked as she approached him. "… It's been a while."

Tony gulped and let his eyes fall shut. How this day get any worse?


	2. Chapter 2

Tony spent the remainder of the day avoiding Candice. He didn't want to answer any questions she might have. Instead, he hung out in the lab with Abby and helped her with the current case.

They were investigating the death Kate and Gibbs was determined to track down Ari and kill him if it cost him his life. Everyone was still devastated, but returning to normal state so they could help their friend.

"So what's the deal with you and the new girl?" Abby asked while she examined a bullet casing through the microscope. A lump formed in his throat.

"Nothing… Uh.. We-"

"Worked together in Baltimore," a sly feminine voice continued. Tony swallowed the lump and headed for the exit.

"I got to go. I just remembered I got to uh-" Candice stopped him.

"Stay a while Anthony, I would love to catch up," she said as she grabbed his arm.

"Listen, I really have to go, Gibbs-"

"Isn't here. He took that nerd and went to the crime scene," she finished. Tony sighed and backed up.

"You two really worked together?" Abby asked. Candice nodded.

"Yep, for four years we were partners on the Baltimore police force," she informed her new co-worker.

"Wicked!" Abby exclaimed, then leaned in closer and lowered her voice. "So, is there any secrets you can tell me about Tony?" she asked. Candice giggled and turned around.

"Many," she chuckled. "But we'll share later. Gibbs asked me to run an errand for him."

"Coffee?" Tony wrinkled his nose. She shrugged and walked away.

"Maybe." As she disappeared he watched her walk away. She hadn't changed any. Still gorgeous and witty. Memories came flooding back, but he was interrupted.

"So, tell me something about her," Abby demanded. Tony scoffed.

"She… gets around," he muttered. Abby laughed.

"Like you?"

He groaned and shook his head. Instead of continuing his conversation with Abby, he took off to the coroner's lab, where he found Ducky sitting in chair staring at a sheeted body. _Kate. _Tony swallowed. He couldn't bear to look at it. It was horrible.

"Tony," Ducky whispered. Neither of them knew what to say. This all felt like a terrible dream that they couldn't wake up from. Defying temptation to take one last look at his lovely co-worker, he swung around and left the lab. He felt empty without Kate. It was weird and unnatural, but she had completed him in a strange way. The idea of never watching her wipe the floor with him, was heartbreaking. A loud ringing broke him from his thoughts. Quickly he answered his phone.

"DiNozzo."

"I need you to see something, get up here right away, and bring Abby," Gibbs ordered before hanging up. Rushing back to Abby's lab he urged her to the roof.

"Boss has something for us to see. I think it could be vital to the case." Abby dropped what she was doing and followed Tony. Once on the roof, they caught up with Gibbs and McGee. "What is it boss?"

Gibbs led them a few feet away. There was an unusual marking that was unfamiliar to Tony.

"See that? It's the indentation of our sniper rifle. I'll bet you a hundred bucks it matches our rifle." Abby nodded and examined it.

"Do you want me to do a mould?" she asked. Gibbs nodded as the young scientist ran off. Tony stared at him.

"Indentation? How is that possible? That would mean he was pressing down very hard for a very long time," he pointed out. Gibbs smirked.

"Sweating too."


	3. Chapter 3

Back in the office, Tony waited for a response from Abby on the mould. She was checking to see if it matched any of the potential rifles. She had also collected sweat from the scene that she was running through the system. While he lost himself in his thoughts, he remembered that fatal, life altering moment. Watching Kate fall to the ground had been devastating. Not just to him but the entire team. He tried to keep his mind off of it, but whenever he was alone, he couldn't control himself.

"What are you doing, imagining your female co-workers naked?" a smug voice retorted. Tony opened his eyes to meet a pair of shimmering silver eyes. In front of him stood Candice, she held a tray with two coffees and a Chocolate Frappucino.

"I don't need to imagine you," he shot back.

"Pig," she retorted with a wrinkled nose.

"Oh, and you're so much better?" he snarled. She stuck out her tongue and placed the tray on her desk. "So he did send you for coffee?" She shrugged.

"Of course."

"So which one's mine?" he asked hoarsely. She stuck out her tongue again.

"One's for Gibbs and one's for McGee. I didn't think of you," she snapped. He scrunched his eyebrows and stared at her. Once she brushed her long, curly hair from her face, she straightened her skirt and picked up the tray. She was such a beautiful woman that cast a spell over any man in her presence. Like so many men before him, he was enchanted by her, but those days were gone. They had worked well together before, but now he wasn't so sure he could do it. Why had she chosen this route? Just to haunt him and torture him with the past, he had enough on his plate after losing Kate, he didn't need her to remind him of his terrible mistakes.

"If you ever return from Lala land, Abby wants to see you in the lab!" Candice yelled as she boarded the elevator. "I'm taking this stuff to Gibbs." Tony shot up in his chair and looked around. If Abby needed to see him, it must concern the evidence. Without hesitation, he hopped to his feet and headed down to see Abby.

"Tony!" she greeted him with a big smile and a hug.

"What did you find?" he asked. She picked up a rifle off the table.

"Our indentation was too worn down to get a direct match, but this is the closest match I could get. So I sent Candice out to tell Gibbs the news," she explained. Tony groaned in envy.

"And our DNA?" he asked impatiently. She appeared so excited, she was shivering.

"I can't tell you until Gibbs gets here," she said with a huge smile. When she was done talking, the rest of the team walked in.

"What do you have for me Abby?" Gibbs demanded.

"I got a match to our DNA…" her voice trailed off.

"And?" he asked impatiently.

"Brace yourself…" she warned as her gaze shifted over the rest of the team. Gibbs glared at her and shook his head. "Alright…" she smiled. "I'll take you out of the dark… It matches our one and only."

"Ari?" Gibbs asked. Abby nodded.

"He's in the system and I got a hit," she giggled. Gibbs smiled and patted the scientist on the head.

"Good work Abby. But it won't help us find him. Still, it's a start. DiNozzo, McGee, I want you out and try to get a lead on Ari. I'll take Candice. Go!" Tony nodded and took off for the elevator.

As Abby Scuito putted around her lab, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. Trying to shrug it off, she decided to work on another case until further orders from Gibbs. The next case she was working on involved the death of four Marine officers. They'd been home for a vacation and took their wives on a cruise. All four ended up dead in their cabins. Gibbs passed up the case because he was so worked up on catching Ari.

Then there was the matter of Tony. She couldn't forget the look in his eyes every time Candice entered a room. She knew that they had worked together, but there had to be so much more. The two agents were hiding something and she wanted to know. It had been hard losing Kate, and Tony was hit the worst. Everyone knew they had feelings for each other it was undeniable, and he had the same look of longing everytime he looked at Candice. Being a forensic scientist, and educated in matters of the heart, she could put two and two together…

"Abby!" A husky voice drew her from her thoughts. When she swung around, she found Gibbs standing behind her. There was a stern expression on his face.

"How did it go, boss?" she asked meekly, still feeling uncomfortable.

"What's up with you?" he asked, noticing her jumpy behavior. "Too much caffeine today?" She shook her head and took in a deep breath.

"Do you ever get that suspicion that you're being watched?" she asked quietly. He stared at her and from the twinkle in his eyes, she could tell he knew exactly what she meant. With an almost unnoticeable nod, he stepped back and pulled an evidence bag out of his pocket.

"The other team members found this, I want you to run it against our other bullets," he ordered. She nodded and accepted the bag from him. "Now I'm gonna run out for a coffee. Would you like anything?" he offered. She shook her head and motioned him out. "Call me when you get something!" he shouted back at her. She agreed and proceeded to remove the evidence from the bag.

It was a bullet casing like the ones at the crime scene. Their best bet was that it belonged to the same rifle that killed Kate. As she began to process the evidence, that creepy feeling returned. Suddenly, she felt unsafe and uncomfortable.

"Don't be silly Abby, you are perfectly safe in here," she murmured as she placed the casing under the microscope. "Now, let's see if I can bring Kate some justice."


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Tony found it hard to drag himself into work. He had slept poorly the night before. The entire night, he had a sneaky suspicion that someone was watching him; he still couldn't shake it as he stepped off the elevator and straightened his suit and tie. In the office, he was greeted by Agent McGee and Agent Klyne. They were sharing a box of donuts and each had a coffee.

"What about me?" Tony asked. Candice laughed.

"Like I'd share anything with you?" she muttered with a smirk. He narrowed his eyes as he passed her desk. Reaching down, he snatched a donut and took McGee's coffee.

"Thanks McGee, you are always good to me," he grinned. Candice rolled her sparkling silver eyes, but before she could open her mouth, Gibbs stepped off the elevator. Behind him was a tall dark skinned woman with frizzy brown hair.

"Everyone," he began as he stole a donut. "This is Ziva David, she will be helping us with our investigation. She has previous experience with Ari. Be kind and generous…" his voice trailed off bitterly as he pushed by the group and up the stairs. Tony stared at this new addition. Two new agents in one week? Gibbs was really into catching this guy.

"So, what exactly will you be helping us with?" McGee asked through a mouthful of donut. Ziva wrinkled her nose and took a seat at Kate's old desk. Tony felt a stab at his heart as she replaced Kate in that chair.

"Well, I was trained for tracking of terrorists within my own country. I have previously encountered Ari and am delighted to be helping you with your investigation," she recited, as if reading from a script. There was something not trustworthy about her. Tony decided to keep his distance.

"Well, I'm agent McGee, and this is another new agent to our team, Candice Klyne," Timothy greeted as he rose to his feet and straightened his suit. Candice smiled and approached the other woman. Extending her hand, she offered and invitation for a handshake.

"Glad to have you here. It seems Kate meant a lot to this team, and on behalf of everyone I am happy to have you here to help," she said it all as she watched Tony from the corner of her mischievous gleaming eyes. Ziva smiled and glanced around the room. When Gibbs returned everyone fell silent.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" he grumbled. "Let's go." He led Ziva and Candice out of the office and nodded to Tony and McGee. "Stay here. Keep me up to date on any leads you find." Tony groaned and nodded. He had no choice but to agree. It seemed since Candice had joined the team, he never got to do field work. Training her, perhaps, in his own way. That seemed like the Gibbs thing to do.

Down in her dark lab, Abby Sciuto ran DNA samples related to the case of the four dead marines. She felt sick to her stomach as she thought of another new agent. Did Gibbs have to? It was one thing to replace Kate with a cunning, quick witted detective, but a second one? Abby felt as if Kate were being ignored. McGee's words echoed in her head.

_He's only bringing Ziva on to help find Ari, after that, she's gone. Be patient, Kate will be brought justice, hopefully sooner than we all expect. _

As much of a pain as Tim could be, she had to believe him on this one, after all, he was up front and saw what was happening. Abby was going by hearsay.

"I have to focus," she muttered. "Other victims need just as much attention as Kate does. I have to do my job and let them do theirs." A few minutes later, Ziva and McGee entered the lab.

"Where's Gibbs?" Abby asked almost instantly.

"He took Candice and Tony to a second crime scene. I'm not sure what it's all about. He said he'd explain later. Any way, Abs, you got anything for us?" She shook her head.

"Only the obvious. The casing Gibbs brought me last night matched our other casings. Nothing unusual about that though. Anyway, I'm stuck working this quadruple murder at the same time. So could you guys come back in, like, an hour?" she asked. She felt guilty for pushing them aside and pushing Kate aside, but she had to focus. She had no other choice.

Almost an hour later, Ziva returned with Tony and Candice. The three agents looked distraught, mostly Candice and Tony.

"What do you have for me?" Abby asked.

"DNA," Tony piped up as he handed her an evidence bag with a piece of gum in it.

"Yummy, ABC, just the way I like it," she laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

"If it weren't for me, Anthony, you would never have found that gum," Candice scolded as she smacked Tony across the back of the head.

"Well, I bagged it, and Gibbs congratulated me, so it's my evidence. I get the credit," he retorted.

"You selfish bastard," she muttered casually. He rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. "You still haven't changed," she commented as she reached in her pocket for her cell phone. Without another word, she disappeared.

"Where did you find it?" Abby asked.

"In an abandoned parking lot," Ziva told her. Tony groaned and turned to leave the room. Once he was gone from sight, Ziva stared at the door a moment before looking back to the lab tech.

"What's the history between them?" she asked with folded arms. Abby shook her head.

"I guess they used to work together," she told her. "That's all I know." Falling silent, she removed the gum from the bag and began to process it.

"Hmm…" Ziva hummed. "I think it's much more than that," she whispered. After bidding farewell to Abby, she left the lab. Already, Abby had distaste for her. Another replacement, that's all she was. The company was just trying to forget Kate and create more agents to sacrifice. Pretty soon she would be gone, and things would be on the road to normal again.

Tony sneered as he threw himself into his chair. Everything he did seemed to reflect poorly with Candice. She couldn't even give him credit for a stupid piece of evidence. The investigation was taking forever. How hard could it be to track down Ari? He was a murderous terrorist. He must have struck again. It seemed that he showed much interest in NCIS agents. Why hadn't he contacted them? Did he just want Kate dead? Or was he waiting until they all were back on with their lives to strike again. It would be hard for Tony to feel safe, knowing that the only person he had felt much for was the target of a terrorist. What about everyone else in his life? On his team? Would Ari take them out one by one? Or was he just being paranoid?

"Daydreaming again DiNozzo?" a hoarse voice muttered. He opened his eyes to find Candice. "Were you imagining Gibbs giving you a gold medal for making a crucial find? Or was it more?" she asked as she approached him and placed her hands on his desk. He took in a deep breath.

"Listen, if you want credit, you can have it. You know I don't care-" She cut him off.

"Of course you care. That's what you live for, recognition. Don't think I don't remember. But some recognition isn't always good," she said bitterly as she stood up straight and turned around. Tony's eyes fell shut. He felt exhausted, not physically, but emotionally. Playing this game was hard, but Candice seemed to do pretty well. The others were obviously interested, but it was none of their business. He and Candice were old partners from Baltimore. They knew that; the rest was ancient history. Well, that's how he felt. Candice seemed to take it much differently. When he opened his eyes, she was gone. The room was silent. Everyone else was somewhere else. He decided to do some research on the internet and see if he could conjure up some contacts. It was a good bet that Gibbs, McGee and Ziva were out in the field right now. And Candice… Well, she could be anywhere. She and Abby seemed like good friends. He shook his head.

"Snap out of Tony," he muttered. "Just snap out of it."


	5. Chapter 5

"So girl, what are you doing tonight?" Abby asked as Candice took a seat in her lab. The new agent shrugged. She'd come down looking for companionship, seeing as there was no one upstairs except Tony. Gibbs had given her strict orders to keep him up to date with research, but Tony had decided to cover that playing field.

"I don't know, probably sitting at home, watching sappy romance flicks," she laughed. Abby smiled.

"What about horror movies? Ever sit in the dark and watch those?" she asked. Candice shook her head.

"I'm a sap for romance movies. I know it seems cliché, but it's true." Abby laughed.

"Well, mind if I tag along?" she asked. "I need some company." Candice nodded.

"Sure thing, I could use some company myself."

Tony watched them leave. All he could think about was how long it was taking to solve this case. McGee was down at autopsy with Ducky, and Gibbs had left with Ziva over an hour ago. He'd told Candice and Abby to go home and get some sleep. Tony was deciding to take up the offer as well. It seemed like a good idea. He jumped to his feet as the elevator doors opened.

"Hey girls! Wait for me!" he hollered as he grabbed his jacket and fled their way.

"What do you want, Anthony?" Candice asked bitterly.

"I was thinking, maybe I could treat you ladies to dinner? How does that sound?" he suggested. He was hoping for some alone time with Candice, but if they had to bring Abby, than he'd find another way. The two girls exchanged confused glances, but nodded in agreement.

"Sure," they replied in unison. "Lets go."

Tony felt empty as he pulled into the parking lot of Candice's apartment. It looked well kept. Before he could say anything, the girls jumped out of the vehicle and waved goodbye. The night had not gone as well as he'd hoped. Dinner was good, and for one full hour he didn't hear a single dirty comment directed his way. Maybe she just put on a show in front of everyone, or… She'd just had too much to drink tonight. That was probably it. She was talking mostly about her high school days. He heard things he didn't even know when they were partners on the force. And she told him everything. She was a brilliant girl. Too bad some mistakes just couldn't be forgiven.

When he got home, he threw his jacket on the couch and relaxed in front of the TV. He had no idea what to do with himself. It was going to be a long night. This whole case had him on the fritz. Paranoia ruled his every waking moment. Constantly being reminded of how Kate was killed really hurt him. Then to have an old flame on the job as well… It had him so caught up in a daze that nothing seemed to make sense anymore. He worked his way to the fridge and grabbed a beer. Once he opened it, he replaced himself in front of the TV to drown himself in a world of imagination.

Something about Candice and Tony bothered Abby. Sure they obviously had issues with one another, but there was something she didn't quite get. The two girls had positioned themselves on the floor in front of the TV to watch some movies. They were drinking coolers from Candice's fridge and eating junk food. This made Abby feel good. She hadn't relaxed like this in a long time. Her buddy had disappeared for a bathroom break about a half hour ago. Worry swept over Abby, but before she could holler for her friend, Candice came waddling out of the spare bedroom. In her hand, she held a small object; when she sat down on her pillow, Abby saw it: A white gold band with a large sapphire surrounded by two diamonds.

"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed. "Where'd you get it?" The discretion in Candice's eyes told her that she'd regret the question. The long haired brunette closed her eyes and lay back on the floor.

"It's an engagement ring," she replied quietly. Her voice was shaky. "After five years, I still have it. How pathetic am I? Any woman in her right mind would sell it for what its worth. But me… I just hang on to it… Hang on to the past. Pray for change…" her voice trailed off.

"Do you mind if I ask who you were supposed to marry?" Abby asked, intrigued but this new found information.

"What does it matter?" Candi sighed. "It's in the past." Realizing that they'd had enough to drink, Abby hid the rest of the alcohol behind the TV.

"Sometimes it helps to talk about it." Candice sat up and slid the ring on her ring finger.

"Well, we met at the academy, became partners, then two years later, he leaves me high and dry at the alter," she confessed. Abby stared at her, speechless.

"Tony?" she exclaimed. "You were gonna marry Tony?" Candice lifted her eyes from the ring to meet her friends'.

"Yah, we were in love. Actually in love. Until our wedding day. That's when he decided to skip town and leave me all alone at the alter," she explained. Abby had to resist from laughing. She knew there was something more to their relationship. But leaving her at the alter? Tony could be a jerk-off, but that sounded nothing like him.

"Wow," was all she could manage to say. "So… that's why things are awkward," she observed. Candice smiled.

"Sure is. But…" her voice trailed off to a whisper. "It's the past. He's a jerk, there isn't much I can do about that. Still…" Abby thought for a moment, then asked the inevitable.

"Do you still have feelings for him?" she braced herself for a snappy comeback or a snarl. Instead, Candi shook her head.

"That was a long time ago. I've been in a couple of serious relationships since then. He's history. I can't live my life hoping he'll change his ways and come crawling back." A chuckle escaped her throat as she played with the ring on her finger. "Though I did pray to see him again, so I could give him what he deserves." Abby smiled. She could see sadness in her friend's eyes. There was also a hint of relief. Maybe getting this off her chest helped. She would imagine so.

"Well, why are we sitting around here moping? Let's watch Friday the 13th. I haven't seen that since I was a kid!" Candice exclaimed.

"I'm in!" Abby agreed.

Tired from the night before, Tony rested his head on his desk and waited for the rest of the team to show. Though he'd gone straight home after his dinner with the girls, he didn't sleep much at all. All he thought about was Kate and Candice. Losing Kate had been a huge tragedy. Everyone on the team was affected in different ways. The dreams he had were still haunted by her and the image of her dead, frozen body on Ducky's operating tray. Every night she appeared in his dreams, he assumed to bring a message, or just drive him crazy. He knew it was time to get over her. They would catch Ari soon, and all of his followers would fall. No more agents would be lost.

Then there was Candice. It wasn't his dreams that were haunted by her, but his memories. How foolish could he have been to leave her? Cold feet? That wasn't a convincing excuse. All there years, she probably thought it was another woman. It wasn't; he just couldn't bear the thought of someday being a father, and a committed husband. He'd never cheated on her. Nor did he have any desire to. She was perfect. Beauty, wisdom and a quick eye. She took no bullshit from anyone and was a damn good cop. When he left her, he made a life altering mistake that would haunt him for the rest of his life. He knew in his heart that she hadn't forgiven him, but was it as painful for her to be working together? Probably not, after all, he'd left. If anyone ever found out… he was doomed. No one would let him live it down.

A loud bang from the elevator roused him from his thoughts. Old thing was probably on the fritz again. He observed as the solid steel doors opened. Off stepped Agent Gibbs and Ms David. Both were pretty banged up and looked awfully tired.

"Boss!" he exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. "Where've you been? And what happened?" Gibbs smirked, which Tony found odd, considering the state of things.

"The bastard's dead," Gibbs spat as he wiped a trickle of blood from his lower left lip. Tony's eyes shot wide.

"What?" he asked. "What happened?" Ziva and Jethro exchanged glances.

"We were too late and tracking his location. But his colleagues are in custody. They're to being extradited back to where they came from. But part of the prosecution will take place here because of the murder of a federal agent," Gibbs explained with a deep breath. Tony found this all fascinating; he was just disappointed he didn't get to shoot the SOB.

"Where's everyone else?" Ziva asked as she walked quietly through the office.

"Not here yet," Tony replied, before leaning toward the boss. He lowered his voice. "What are we gonna do about her now?" he asked. Gibbs looked at him.

"Send her home."


	6. Chapter 6

While he waited in his desk, Tony could feel nothing but shock and relief. Ari was dead. He was finally out of their lives and Kate had a little justice. His eyes fell shut. Soon they would have to endure the funeral. He wasn't looking forward to it. It meant she was finally gone. Finally out of this world. In a good prospective, it gave everyone closure. Justice was finally upon them. He was drawn from his thoughts when the elevator doors opened once again. Abby stepped off. She looked satisfied, but at the same time, she had a figure of discontent to her image.

"Abs!" he exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. "Did you hear the news?" With a disgruntled expression, she stalked over to him and swift as a fox, slapped him across the face.

"Jerk!" she shouted before heading back to the elevator. A laugh erupted from behind him.

"What did you do now DiNozzo?" Gibbs chuckled. Tony groaned as he rubbed his cheek and turned to his boss. With a shrug, he murmured.

"I have no idea. Honest." Again, the elevator doors opened. This time, Candice stepped off. She looked beautiful. Her long hair was tied back in a clip. The shirt she wore was ruffled and pink; it was matched with a short denim skirt and tall back boots. A smile illuminated her young face.

"Good morning gentlemen," she greeted with a flirtatious smile. "Anthony."

"G – good morning Agent Klyne," McGee stuttered from behind Gibbs. When Tony took in a deep breath, he caught the scent of Candice's perfume. Wildflower. She knew it drove him nuts. What was she up to? When he lowered his gaze to the floor, he caught sight of a ring on her left finger. The band was white gold with a large sapphire between two smaller diamonds. His breath escaped him. What was she doing? Suddenly it all made sense. Abby's reaction to her story…Without thinking, he gently took her hand and looked up to her.

"What in the world?" he asked in a huskier tone than anticipated. She looked to her hand and tore it away from him.

"It's a beautiful ring," she smiled. "I wouldn't let it rot in the dark of my storage locker because of its history." With a chuckle, she swung around and headed for the elevator. Tony could feel his coworker's eyes on his back. With a forced smile, he turned around.

"So, did you get the news?" he asked Timothy. He nodded.

"Great news. But what was that all about?" he asked as he pointed to the closing doors of the elevator.

"Nothing," he snapped before returning to his seat. Gibbs walked past him with a coffee in tow.

"Well, we may have brought Ari down, but we still have more work to do. McGee, I want you on the paper work right away. I don't need to hear anything from the director on this one. Tony, go talk to Ducky and give him the good news so he can begin funeral preparations," Gibbs ordered.

"Yes sir," the boys replied in unison, Tony was somewhat less enthusiastic.

"Oh, and Tony," his boss started as the elevator doors began to close. "No detours to Abby's lab." The menacing laugh that escaped his throat sent chills up Tony's spine.

"Yes boss," he muttered beneath his breath.

With a deep breath, Tony exited the elevator and headed for Ducky's lab. Kate was no longer on the table in front of him. Instead, there were four covered bodies spread through out the room.

"Good Afternoon, Tony," the Coroner greeted. Tony offered a forced smile.

"I have some news, courtesy of Gibbs."

"Really? And what would that be?" Ducky asked, without looking up from the body he was dissecting. Tony's stomach did a flip flop.

"Ari's dead," he said calmly. Ducky glanced up.

"What happened?" he asked anxiously.

"Boss won't say, just that we need not worry about him anymore," Tony told him. Ducky let out a sigh of relief. There was a long pause, before Tony spoke up again. "What are you working on now?" he asked.

"Quadruple murder. Awful," the doctor told him. Tony nodded but before another word could escape his throat, Ducky continued. "I had a little bird in my lab earlier." Tony stared at him, confused. "Abigail… She told me of… What happened."

"What happened?" Tony was more baffled.

"You and Miss Klyne. But don't worry, Agent DiNozzo, I don't think anythgn less of you." Tony's eyes widened.

"What? You found out? From Abby?"

"Yes, she was down here this morning collecting evidence from my bodies. She told me all about it." Tony steamed and swung around. Without another word, he stalked up to the office. In the desk across from his, sat Candice. She wore a smirk on her dark, beautiful face. For a moment, he studied her from afar and tried to remember why he would take off on such a wonderful woman… He shook his head and kept on moving. That wasn't the point right now.

"You told her!" he shouted as he slammed his hands down on her desk. Her beautiful face hardened.

"Yah, and what are you gonna do about it? _Untell_ her?" she snapped back. A sigh of frustration slipped from his lips. Anger flooded his veins. He'd left her in the dust, now everyone was going to know. Of course, everyone would take her side of the story and he would be the bad guy.

"What do you want from me?" he asked coldly. Those icy blue-grey eyes stared right through his soul. Their breathing was both rapid, and the moment tense.

"An apology," she muttered as she tore her gaze from him and turned around. She crossed her arms and he took in a deep breath.

"That was years ago? Can't you just let it go?" he snapped. Her jaw fell opened and she swung back to meet his gaze.

"You! You waited till our wedding day, then you left me at the alter, pregnant!" she shouted. After the last word rolled off her lips, she hand clapped over her mouth. Tony stared at her. Silence engulfed the both of them.

"P- Pregnant?" he stuttered. Her icy grey eyes fell shut and she buried her face in her palms. "W- What?" Just the thought of what he'd done made him feel sick to his stomach. If he'd known she was- he gulped. She raised her head and stared at him with fury in her eyes.

"Yah, I was pregnant. I wasn't going to tell you until after our honeymoon," she said as she rose to her feet.

"And-?" he didn't know what else to say. "The baby?" She shook head.

"No need to worry Anthony. There isn't a little DiNozzo running around out there," she said smugly, "I never had the baby," she sounded almost tearful, but showed no signs of crying.

"You-?" She cut him off.

"I had a miscarriage," she confessed. She turned away and wouldn't look him in the eye any longer.

"Candi, I-" he didn't know what to say. If only he'd known… He didn't leave her because he didn't love her… He'd left her out of fear and selfishness. As much as he tried to tell himself 'if only he'd known' he still would have left. Anthony DiNozzo was selfish then. His eyes fell shut; and he still was.

A whimper broke him from his thoughts. Glancing up, he found her burying her face in her palms. She was crying. Maybe all of this did get her emotional. That could explain the ring, and her crude behavior toward him. Without thinking anymore, he stepped over to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She cried into his shoulder for a few minutes before pulling away.

"Maybe I should apologize," she murmured as she wiped her tears away. He shook his head.

"No, you're right, I do owe you an apology. I should have never done what I did and it was stupid. But you were the one that always told me: 'If it's in the past, it's not worth revisiting'." She nodded.

"You're right, and it's silly for me to cry over it now. That was years ago, and I had my cry then. I've moved on," she said softly, staring into his eyes. He felt his heart speed up as they leaned closer. When he thought they were going to kiss, a smug grin formed on her face. "And I've outgrown you." Without another word, she left the desk and headed for the elevator. When the doors opened, Gibbs stepped off. The boss studied Candi for a minute before wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Candice, me and you are going to the crime scene of our quadruple murder. And DiNozzo. You are going to fins McGee and Ziva and go to the Roseland Internet Café on Main Street," he ordered. Tony could do nothing but stare for a moment. Eventually, it sank in, and he agreed.

"Right on it boss," he said cooperatively as he boarded the elevator. While the doors closed, he banged his head against the side wall. "I'm such an idiot!" he told himself. "How on earth-?" He could think of nothing now but his conversation with Agent Klyne. Though, she had been right. The past is meant to be left behind. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what could have happened.

The entire drive downtown, all Tony could think about were his past problems: What had happened with Candi, Losing Kate to a terrorist and not to mention the problems that occurred on a daily basis at the office. By now, everyone would now what he did; he could feel McGee's eyes staring through the back of his head. Ziva's dark, mysterious glare had his feeling nervous. Deciding to break the tension, he spoke up.

"So…" he began shakily. Ziva cut him off.

"What did you do?" he asked. He stared at her with wide eyes.

"Yah Tony, what happened?" McGee echoed. Tony took in a deep breath and shook his head. Maybe they didn't know.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he declared tersely.

"You and Candice were having an argument earlier. What about?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest. His brow narrowed and he snarled.

"None of your business," he snapped. Ziva chuckled.

"Sounds pretty serious…" her voice trailed off into a teasing tone as they pulled up next to the Internet Café.

"None of your business," he repeated. Now he was becoming upset and well aware of the intrusion of privacy. "That's between me and Candi." Ziva grinned.

"And apparently Agent Gibbs," she relayed before jumped out of the vehicle. Tony stared at her empty seat before turned off the vehicle. For a moment he contemplated what she'd said, then discarded it.

"She looked pretty upset," McGee pointed out as he slammed his door. Tony narrowed his brow in confusion before pointing to Ziva.

"Ziva? She doesn't look all that upset to me," he said. Timothy rolled his eyes.

"Not Ziva! Candice!" he muttered. "She looked pretty distraught while they were leaving this afternoon." Tony shook his head.

"Stay out of it," he snapped. "As I told you, it's between me and Candi. Now mind your own business, and do your job, Probie."


	7. Chapter 7

Abby could feel nothing but excitement as she ran the foreign DNA through the system. She knew she would get a hit, she could feel it. Though she was excited, she also felt impatient. She wanted to talk to Candice, to see if she was doing alright. This Tony thing didn't appear to be bothering her, but there was something deeper. Something Candice wasn't telling her.

"She'll tell me when she's ready. After all, she told me about what Tony did, what could be worse than that?" When the computer made a ringing noise, she leapt to it. That sound meant a match. With anticipation, she read the name on the screen. _Warren Nottingham_. He was a Sergeant with the US Marines.

"Bingo," she murmured as she ripped the results from the printer. With fox-like swiftness, she hopped on the elevator and waited anxiously to tell Gibbs. Maybe this was a good thing. Even if this Sergeant had nothing to do with the deaths, his information could be helpful. When the elevator doors opened, she rushed toward Gibbs' desk to give him the good news. She stopped when the doors to the main elevator opened. Off stepped Gibbs and Candice. He had his arm around her shoulder and was laughing about something. Abby was about to speak up when Gibbs pulled Candi closer and leaned in to kiss her. Abby froze. Slowly, she backed away and headed toward her lab. While she waited for the elevator, she looked back to the agents. A shiver went up her spine as the doors opened.

"Tony's not going to like this," she muttered. Secretly she wondered what Tony would really think. She imagined he would be upset, if she knew him well enough.

When Tony and his co-workers arrived back at the office, they found Candice and Gibbs had already returned. They were seated at their desks. As Tony passed them, he noticed each was researching a separate victim.

"What did find, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked without looking up from his screen. Tony took in a deep breath and shook his head.

"Everyone conveniently saw nothing," he spat. "Not even Ziva could get anything out of them."

"But one of the employees said she heard gunfire. None of our victims had gunshot wounds or residue. I'm going to go talk to Ducky," McGee informed them. Gibbs gave him a nod of approval. Candice jumped to her feet.

"I got something," she said, looking at the boss. Gibbs slowly rose to his feet.

"What is it?"

"Well, apparently our Marine, David Terry was having an affair," she explained. "I just got off the phone with his best friend, Maxwell Grey. I was thinking we could go talk to him." Gibbs agreed.

"Let's go. Tony, Ziva, see what else you can dig up on these Marines and their families," he ordered.

"Right on it, boss," Tony grumbled as he took a seat at his desk.

"What's up with you two? I mean you and Agent Klyne?" Ziva asked. Tony groaned as he popped a piece of gum into his mouth.

"Leave it, would you?" he snapped. She laughed.

"Not until I get some answers," she said. Tony shook his head.

"I have no reason to tell you," he spat. She shrugged.

"I just want to know why you stare at her when you think no ones watching and why you always avoid contact with her. Natural curiosity I suppose." Tony narrowed his brow.

"I don't have to tell you," he said sharply as he rose to his feet. "Now I'm going to see what Abby has found." Ziva followed him. "What do you want from us?" he asked, annoyed. "Ari is dead, why don't you just go back to your country and leave NCIS alone?" She shrugged.

"I like it here," she told him as she stepped closer. "Besides," she whispered, leaning closer to him. "I think you're kind of cute." Tony gulped as she placed a hand on his cheek and leaned in to kiss him.

Abby sat impatiently in her lab. She had to tell someone besides Ducky of her findings. But Gibbs seemed a little preoccupied. Maybe the others were back. Wait, what if they saw what she did? Tony would be unhappy. Jealous even. The thought brought a grin to her lips. She was going to go upstairs and see if she could find one of her team members to tell.

Anxiously, she loaded herself onto the elevator and headed upstairs. When the elevator doors opened, she raced for Gibbs' desk. Instead of Gibbs and Candice, she found Tony and Ziva locked in a kiss. Frustration boiled inside of her as she swung around and headed back to the elevator. When the doors opened, McGee stepped off.

"Ah, what the hell? Everyone else is doing it!" she exclaimed before grabbing Timothy and kissing him. He came off shocked and unprepared. After a minute, she pulled away and boarded the elevator, leaving him dazed and confused.

Tony was full of shock and confusion as Ziva pulled away. She stared at him with a smirk on her face.

"Did you like that?" she asked. He stared at her and thought about it.

"…Yah," he replied slowly.

"Good," she said as she turned on her heel and started to walk away. "Cause it'll never happen again." He sighed and smacked his forehead. Not even he could figure out what was going on around here. He scrunched his brow in confusion as he accidentally bit his tongue.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Give me my gum back!" She waved mockingly at him as the elevator doors closed in front of her. With a groan, he kicked the desk in front of him and headed back toward Abby's lab.


	8. Chapter 8

Tony sat disgruntled at his desk. His chin rested in his palms as he ran the days events through his mind. What on Earth was going on around here? Everyone was acting unusually happy. The case they were working on had not enough suspects, yet so much evidence. He looked up when McGee came around the corner.

"What the heck is going on around here?" he asked, confused. Tony stared at him cautiously.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, I step off the elevator and Abby runs over and kisses me. Then she stalks off without another word. Does anyone have an explanation as to what is going on around here?" he muttered. Tony shook his head.

"You feel it too?" he asked. McGee grunted as he threw himself in his chair.

"I wish I could explain it. But for now I guess we'd better work on this case. Abby seems to be ahead of us," he paused and looked back to Tony. "Can you go check it out?" Tony laughed and rose to his feet.

"Only if you go find Ziva and fill her in." McGee smiled.

"Sure thing."

Abby was carefully analyzing new blood splatter linked to the quadruple murder when the doors to her lab opened. Strolling confidently in was Tony.

"Good afternoon Tony," she greeted without looking up.

"Hey Abs, What you got for us?" he asked.

"New blood splatter," she told him.

"So," he began slowly. "What is going on around here?" he asked, slipping his hands into his pockets. She looked up.

"How do you mean?" she asked as she placed the tube of blood on a tray with others similar.

"I mean… What's with you kissing McGee?" he asked with a smirk. "Are you trying to get him going?" She placed a hand on her hip and smiled.

"I saw you kissing Ziva and Gibbs kissing Candi, and I felt left out so I kissed Timothy. No harm done. None permanent anyway." Tony continued to stare at her.

"Whoa whoa, back up there… Gibbs kissing Candi? When did this happen?" he asked haughtily. Abby pursed her lips, she had said too much.

"Nuh-uh I can't say anymore."

"Why don't I know anything about this?" his tone was sharper now. "I have the right to know." She shook her head.

"It's none of my business, I shouldn't have said anything."

"Well, you did, now tell me, what is going on around here?" he shouted. She stared at him.

"Don't yell at me! How am I supposed to know?" she snapped back.

"Whoa… Whoa… What is going on down here?" Abby looked up to find Gibbs, her cheeks burning. Tony swung around, hatred in his eyes.

"What's going on around here and why are you kissing Candi?" he shouted. Gibbs eyes widened.

"I don't think that's any of your business, now go dig up dirt on our victims; take McGee with you," he told him. Tony didn't move. "Now DiNozzo! That's an order!" Tony tore his gaze from the boss and stalked off. Abby backed up slowly and stared at Gibbs.

"Not that it's any of my business…" her voice trailed off then got louder. "But what the hell is going on around here!" Gibbs stared at the floor.

"Don't worry your pretty little head," he said softly. "You're doing a good job." He turned around and headed for the exit. "Just don't kiss McGee again," he smirked. "You might get his hopes up." She giggled with embarrassment.

"I'll call you if I get anything!" Abby stared at the empty room before her. There was so much going on around there today she was off balance. In the quiet room, she had a moment to think. Her eyes lit up when she remembered Warren Nottingham.

"Gibbs is going to kill me!" she shouted upon realizing she hadn't informed her boss yet. Warren's blood had been at the crime scene; though she could find no link between him and their victims. They weren't even stationed on the same base.

"Gibbs!" she shouted as she ran off the elevator into the bustling office. Over at the teams' desks, she found only Candice, Tony and McGee. The tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. "Where is Gibbs?" she asked impatiently. All three pointed to the top level, where the director's office was. "Did he tell you what Maxwell Grey said?" Silently, the three shook their heads and worked silently at their desks.

"Well, McGee? What of Ducky? Did he find any gunshot wounds on the victims?" she asked. He finally looked up from his computer.

"No evidence of gunshot residue or any gunshot wounds. But there must have been a gun at the scene," he informed her. "All of our witnesses heard gun fire. Three shots fired." Abby took in a deep breath.

"No bullets at the scene. What about casings?" she asked anxiously. McGee shook his head. "Damn!" she cursed as she threw herself in Gibbs' chair. After ten quiet, awkward minutes, Gibbs came stalking out of the director's office.

"Abby," he greeted her as he approached his desk. She jumped to her feet

"I have valuable information," she told him. "Foreign blood splatter at our crime scene, it doesn't belong to our victims, but to a Sergeant Warren Nottingham." HE stared at her as if she were withholding something.

"And…" She shook her head.

"That's it, boss," she replied. He took in a deep breath.

"Where can we find Sergeant Nottingham?" he asked. Her obvious silence was an indication that she had no idea. "What of his base camp?" Abby shook her head.

"He was stationed at a camp fifty miles east of Richmond, sir," she told. "But from an unidentified source, I've discovered that he is no longer there." Gibbs grunted.

"Well, then lets find out where he really is."

With anger and frustration, Tony stared at Gibbs as he took Ziva and headed out of the office. They were off to the camp where Sergeant Nottingham had been based. This information was crucial to the case, but he couldn't seem to concentrate on it. As he sat across from Candice, images of her and the boss locking lips was all that he could see. Was he overreacting? She wasn't his, he had no reason to oppose the union. But somehow, it bothered him. Somewhere hidden in his subconscious, he figured that maybe they could reconcile and become what they dreamed of being so long ago. The thought was naught but a shadow now. Obviously, she had moved on. For better or worse, she had moved on. It was time that he did too. Living in the past with a dream was no way to live life. The pain in his heart subsided a little, but slowly returned as he thought of moving on. He had tried. His heart had become victim to Kate. Now, once again, it was broken. Two women he cared so much about had been ripped away from him by his own pride.

The relationship he had with Kate was so rocky, that there had been no place for confession. Even if he had told her his feelings, she would have laughed it off as another attempt to get her into bed. Then there was Candice. His pride so long ago had persuaded him to leave the best thing he ever had. He ran, he ran so far away that he figured it would never catch up with him. Of course, he had been wrong. Now at the most vulnerable time in his life, she had returned. With her, she carried an air that warded him off. Working with her wasn't easy, though he had hoped that they could at least be friends again. She wouldn't have it. Her hatred ran so deep that even talking to him appeared to be impossible.

"And she has every right," he whispered to himself as he flipped through pages of information of the victim, Micheal Townes. It appeared he had a twin brother, Collin, who was a preschool teacher in Arlington.

"Got something," he said as he looked up to meet McGee in the eye. "Micheal Townes, has a twin brother, Collin Townes, he lives in Arlington. Should we tell Gibbs?" Timothy nodded.

"I'll let him know." Micheal Townes was one of the four victims from the Internet Café. The case still boggled him. Where was the gun? The bullets? If there was a victim, where were they? It was baffling indeed. The four victims had been beaten to death with blunt objects. Each object was a different, which suggested more than one suspect.

"Boss gives us the okay to drive to Arlington tonight and question Collin Townes, or at least let him know of his brother's death," McGee told him, breaking him from his thoughts. Tony nodded and jumped to his feet.

"Then lets go," he looked to Candi and smirked. "You sure you're gonna be ok here? All by yourself?" She shot his a sardonic grin.

"I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. As I have been doing," she shot back. He knew the last part was directed toward him personally. Without another word, she swung her chair around and faced away from them.

"See you in the morning," McGee called as to her as he and Tony boarded the elevator.

Abby waited in her lab anxiously for Gibbs return. She needed to know what he and Ziva had discovered. In the meantime, she was running detailed profiles on the four murder victims: David Terry, Micheal Townes, Phillip Angelo and Richard Affis. They all came from similar backgrounds. Each grew up in the suburbs with military parents and graduated from high school with honors. They had obviously grown close in Marines, because no background evidence suggested they knew each other growing up. Abby didn't feel that was relevant anyway.

More agonizing hours in front of the screen told her that David Terry was married and he and his wife lived in the suburbs of northern Richmond. She needed to be notified of her husband's death.

"I should call Gibbs," she told herself as she picked up the phone.

"Gibbs," came his answer from the other end.

"I just thought I would let you know that David Terry is married and he and his wife live in the suburbs of northern Richmond. Maybe she should be told of what happed to her husband."

"I agree," he replied. "We're on our way back right now. It turns out that Sergeant Nottingham was reported missing two weeks ago. He disappeared from his bed one night and never returned. I'll send Ziva to tell Mrs Terry." Abby gave her approval and hung up. As she returned to her reading, Candice entered her lab.

"Good evening Abby," she greeted. There was the sound of grief in her voice, Abby decided not to pry.

"Do you have anything for me?" she asked. Candice smiled and shook her head.

"Actually, I was wondering the same thing." Abby laughed.

"Nothing in the paperwork?" Candice shook her head.

"DiNozzo discovered that Micheal Townes has a twin brother. Him and McGee are going to talk to him right now," she informed Abby. "What did you find?"

"Well…" Abby began, "Apparently there in a Mrs Terry. Now… If Terry was having an affair… That makes her a suspect in his death." Candice gave a nod of approval.

"Yah, but why kill the other three guys?" she asked. Abby frowned.

"Maybe they were a hindrance. She couldn't leave them alive to report her, so she killed them too." Candice shrugged.

"Could be, but what about our shooter? I wish we could get a lead on that." Abby agreed.

Together, the girls read the files on their victims, not much other information was gathered but what they already knew. Soon after, Gibbs entered the lab.

"Where's Ziva?" Abby asked.

"I sent her back to Richmond to check with Mrs Terry. She'll call me when she gets there. Now did you find anything else? Did DiNozzo and McGee leave already?" It was sort of a rhetorical question because the answer was known all around.

"What now, boss?" Abby asked. He challenged her with his game face.

"We find that gun."


End file.
